In the blue dark
by Avandra the Mary Sue Slayer
Summary: Nothing should be taken for granted... especially people. Chapter 3: A losing game. Raven's time with the Titans is coming to an end.
1. That old fashioned nostalgia

**As I promised, I'll write this story to celebrate the 100 reviews I got in _Crossroads _(which I also encourage you to read). I must inform you that I will close the poll in my profile already, but I'll probably open a new one some day, I'll tell you when I do so you can go in and vote. Now, before I let you begin your reading, I have to say something: anonymous reviews from any of my stories will get answered on the next chapter of said story, except for last chapter reviews, which will be answered in my next work, whatever it may be (a new story or a new chapter of an older story). **

**Once I've made that clear, I'll let you begin my new work. I really hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans (it's been a while since the last time I said it, I should be more careful).**

_**In the blue dark**_

_Chapter one: That old-fashioned nostalgia_

She felt it again. It had been some time since this started; since Beast Boy's encounter with the amnesiac Terra, to be more precise. She first didn't pay too much attention to it, after all, it was just like the former Titan said: things change. Besides, she believed in change, in the constant turning of everything, and eventual eternity, endless circles that repeated themselves over and over again. She kind of liked it, that idea of everything being eternal and never, ever, coming to an end. Constant, but changing.

But what if she was wrong?

As a half-demon, Raven did hold some knowledge about the afterlife, but she could never be sure. What if things did come to an end, and once it was over, it was just over?

Then something caught her attention. It was the chicken plush that Beast Boy had won for her at the Jump City festival. After saving Starfire that night, she went back to retrieve it once she was sure no one would notice. She took the plush and the feeling returned.

The good old days, when everything began...

She was just seventeen and yet she felt much older. It could sometimes be disturbing to see how everything changed in just a couple of years. She was starting to understand her green teammate's feelings.

Memories of her life, how it was in Azarath, poured down on her. The skyscrapers, bright like gold and silver and precious stones under the soft sunlight, always floating in that sea of clouds that was her dimension. People there wore robes and practiced extreme diplomacy that she was also taught, since her being an Azarathean meant she would have to embrace their pacifist ways. She didn't complain, though.

Then she met the Titans. At first she was scared; scared of all the emotions she started to feel. Earth was frenetic, moving, dangerous but alive. And people were just the same, and her teammates were no exception. They made her feel as if she was just the same. As if they were flames in the dark. But she couldn't just let go; she was too dangerous. So she secluded herself from their warmth, neglecting the growing feelings inside of her... until they could be denied no longer and she just restrained their intensity so nothing bad happened to her newfound friends.

They lived all sorts of experiences together. The initial awkwardness of meeting someone for the first time. The fights. The laughs she refused to share. Friendship. Worry for her friends' well being. Her first crush that she immediately turned into her punching bag, afraid of what she might do to him if she came to terms with her feelings for him. Anger, sadness, joy, betrayal, fear, fun...

But mostly happiness.

So many things changed, little by little... At first they were just a bunch of kids that people considered as freaks, then they started to like them when they saw what they could actually do. But the Teen Titans had to earn people's trust, specially since Terra's and Brother Blood's incidents, that made civilians wonder if those kids would actually remain by their side and protect them. They could have become living legends due to their fight against Trigon, weren't it for the world missing it completely. But with their actions against the Brotherhood of Evil and their later travel to Tokyo, they finally achieved glory.

Glory, that was exactly what had changed Raven's life the most. More than their new matter-absorbing enemy, more than Slade's return, more than amnesic schoolgirl Terra, more than her growing love for Beast Boy, more than their favorite pizza place closing. More than anything she had known before.

At first she was a creep and suddenly everybody loved her. Of course they liked her friends too, but she became unexpectedly popular. Girls in Jump City dyed their hair violet. Guys sent her love letters. And then_ that _letter... That letter that could definitely change everything and put her life upside down...

She took it from her table. She would show it to the others; she really felt that she had to. After all, they were her friends; they deserved to know. So she got out of her room, ready to say the truth. She crossed the door to the common room. All her friends were there. All of them seemed happy to see her. As usual. She thought of the possibility of never seeing those happy expressions again and her heart skipped one bit. She was being offered something she had secretly desired all her life, but it would mean that she would no longer be a superhero, at least not temporarily. She wouldn't see her friends for a long time...

...Just when that thought reached her mind as she was about to speak, the familiar feeling of that old-fashioned nostalgia for a bright past struck her again.

**What could be troubling Raven so much? What do you think her dilemma is? You'll find out soon, on the next chapter. As you may have noticed, my writing style is a bit different from _Crossroads, _since, for the moment, this story is not so action-driven. I really hope you like it, and that its narrative didn't get too repetitive. By the way, I'm not quite sure as to how to classify this story, so probably the genre you'll see it has won't be completely accurate.**

**See you soon,**

**Avy.**


	2. The going gets tough

**Well, now's time for this fic. I hope you like it, and that what I'm intending to do with this story is not too "controversial". I don't think it'll be, lots of stories in this site involve something similar, but most of them are not exactly brilliant and tend to be considered as bad fics. I really hope this one doesn't. I'll explain more on the author's note by the end of this chapter, so I don't spoil anything. Please, read and review. Enjoy!**

**Now, the anonymous reviews:**

**The Cretin: You may not know this, but the first thing I do when an anonymous review arrives is answer it on the next chapter's document, even if I haven't started to write the story. And yours are always rewarding. I'll always thank you for them. I felt that I wanted to do something different from _Crossroads, _story-wise. So I will try to reflect it in my writing. Besides, I think something like this could make me improve. I know some things about the original comics though not many of them got to fall into my hands. But I think that's also kind of portrayed in the show too. However, I must say that I find Raven more reflective than mature; she can be capable of some immature acts sometimes, though this is not usual. BB is not as immature as he is impulsive, but he shows a great maturity when it's required. That's how I see them, though, I may not be right but I'd like to write them in different ways depending on the story I'm making, of course without getting out of character, which I will always watch out for. Thanks a lot for your review, I'll upload _Crossroads _and its parallel story first, but the next chapter of this story will be up soon. Thank you, I really wish the best for you. **

**Now, it's time for you to enjoy this story which I really hope you like.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.**

_Chapter two: The going gets tough_

"I think you should all read this" Raven said in a low voice.

She went to the couch where her friends were gathered for one of Cyborg and Beast Boy's usual gaming competitions. The girl handed the letter to Robin, who cleared his throat and proceeded to read it aloud.

_Dear Miss Raven; _

_My name is George Stewart, talent scout from Jump Up Records. I was assigned to Tokyo at the same time you were there in order to search for some new talent that matched my company's needs for an exotic new singing star. What I did not expect is that I would find the right person in a Harajuku karaoke bar. I am talking about you, Raven. I am sure you noticed how everybody froze in the moment you sang your song. Your voice is everything I had been looking for: sweet but powerful, nostalgic yet brand new, all in accord with your appearance. And your technique, while still far from perfect, is already quite good, with no false notes. I could not help but record your singing and show it at Jump Up's headquarters. The company is really interested in working with you, and so I am writing now this letter to offer you a chance to become a living legend. Please let me discuss this proposal with you in a personal meeting in the _Carmen_ café there in Jump City, the 8__th __of June. I have chosen that date so as to give you some time to reflect about this letter's content. I really hope to receive a positive answer. _

_I look forward to see you in person. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_George Stewart._

Everyone in the tower went dead silent. A silence that was quickly broken by Beast Boy's laughter.

"Dude, I can't believe what I've just heard! Raven, a pop star? Hey, Rae, take me with you to your meeting with that dude, I can't wait to see you sending him into another dimension!"

"Actually... I still don't know what to answer"

The silence came back.

"WHAT?" was everything Cyborg could say.

The girl blushed lightly.

"I know this is stupid, but I had always wanted to be, you know... a singer. I remember how much I loved the Azarathean chants when I was a child... I would always sing along, hoping that one day I would be the one singing for the people... I guess I never really gave up hope..." she whispered, the slightest trail of nostalgia in her voice.

She remembered the choirs in Azarath. They got together and sang at the streets. There were also soloists. Their chants were magical and angelic; she was always hypnotized by the beauty of their voices and secretly wished hers was that brilliant.

The voice of one of her friends pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Raven, you do know that if you choose to work for Jump Up Records you'll have to give up being a Teen Titan, don't you?" Robin asked, frowning a bit.

"I know... That's why I have to give it some deep thought. I'll answer Mr. Stewart in our meeting" the appointed replied "Don't worry, that won't interfere with my duties as a Titan; I will still go on missions, especially now that we have a new enemy"

"But friend Raven, that may only last until the 8th of June. If you decide to devote your life to singing, we will not see each other again... am I correct?"

The Azarathean looked at her alien friend. Her green eyes full of sadness were on the verge of tears. Guilt struck the empath as she answered.

"Of course not! We would keep in touch and I'd visit you whenever I could. And don't forget I haven't decided yet, so please don't act as if I was going to leave for sure"

Starfire shook her head.

"Friend Raven, it is a dream what we are talking about... For me, it is sure that you will leave"

The Tamaranean couldn't bear staying there looking at how her best friend was slipping away from her life. She ran (since her sadness wouldn't let her fly) out of the common room. Any verbal attempts from her friends to stop her went on deaf ears.

The one who provoked that reaction in the girl sighed deeply.

"If you need me, I'll be in my room"

The three male Titans just stood, unable to say a word. They didn't imagine something like that could happen, not after Starfire's almost-wedding with Glgrdsklechhh. So used they were to see each other as family that they failed to realize there were no real boundaries between them, and that any day, their union could come to an end. And now they had to face the possibility of something like that coming true. From that point, the thoughts of the three youngsters went different ways, drifting away from each other's.

Beast Boy was the one who, again, broke the now excruciatingly painful silence.

"Dudes... What do you think she'll do? Is Rae going to leave us?"

The other two looked down, not daring to answer.

"Well..." Cyborg started "I must say I didn't expect this, I mean, who would have thought our Raven would want to be a singer, especially after watching how you, BB, had to drag her to the karaoke bar's stage?"

"I know... I guess that was because of her shyness. Hey" the changeling said, now with an enthusiastic expression "What if she doesn't dare trying it out? Maybe there's a chance that she'll stay with us after all..."

Robin frowned, not sure of what to say.

"Let's hope so... I understand that her interests may go beyond us, and I will respect her decision whatever it will be, but I won't be happy at all if she chooses to quit; she's not only a really valuable teammate, but also a friend I really trust..."

The Boy Wonder sighed. He didn't look like his usual self, confident that everything would be okay. He didn't know how things would turn out anymore.

"I'll go check on Starfire"

The two remaining teens remained silent for a bit, lost in thought.

"Hey, B" Cyborg finally muttered "do you think Star's right? Is Raven going to leave us?"

The changeling shook his head.

"I have no idea..."

More silence that was becoming heavier and heavier.

"Hey, do you think this could be, you know, the beginning of the end?" the tall man asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember that alternate timeline in which we all split up because of Star's disappearance? What if it now happens again?"

Beast Boy jokingly punched his friend's arm.

"Come on, dude! You're being paranoid! I don't think that'll ever happen, we learnt from that, didn't we?" he exclaimed, suddenly confident "Besides, we still don't even know if Rae's leaving or not, and even if she did I'm sure we'd keep in touch. There's no reason for any of us to quit"

"I don't know, grass stain... Until now we all thought Raven had no reason to quit either"

"She just has a childhood dream she wants to make come true now that she has the chance... I don't think that would happen to us; think about Rob for example, do you think he'd want to be anything more than a hero?"

"I don't know, BB..." the half-robot replied, unable to share his best friend's optimism.

Meanwhile, Robin silently entered Starfire's room. As he had predicted, his girlfriend was there, lying on her bed with her back to him. He heard faint sobs.

"Star..."

She slowly sat up and turned to see him. Indeed, her tearful face gave away her feelings.

"Boyfriend Robin... Are you going to tell me off for my behavior?"

He crossed the room to get by her side and knelt down beside her.

"No. I was just worried"

The princess looked away.

"For what? There is nothing you can do to revert this situation"

"I know, but I still want to make you feel better"

"Feel better?" she replied with anger "There is no way that I could feel better about losing my best friend!"

He raised one of his gloved hands and caressed her tanned cheek in a comforting manner.

"I think you're anticipating too much. What if she says no?"

"She will not say no, boyfriend Robin"

"Why wouldn't she?"

The one named Koriand'r finally looked back at her beloved, tears running down her face once more.

"Because of the same reason I did not stay in Tamaran when I became the Grand Ruler"

The hero looked intensely at her, and then did something she didn't expect: he took off his mask so she could stare into his blue eyes. He obviously had already told her everything about his secret identity.

"Listen" he firmly said "Raven is Raven and you are you. You may have some things in common, but you're definitely not the same. I won't lie to you: I also think it's quite possible that she leaves. But even if she does" he sat on the bed by his girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her "it won't be the end of our friendship. If she didn't abandon us when she became the Portal, she won't do it now"

"Are you sure?" the alien girl asked.

"I've never been so sure" Robin replied, smiling warmly at her. Starfire hesitated for a moment, then threw herself into his arms. As usual, her embrace almost strangled the Boy Wonder, but he didn't let go of her.

"You are right... I have been blinded by my fear of losing her, and I have been unfair with her. I shall now go to apologize..."

The girl didn't finish the sentence, since her boyfriend pulled her back down when she was about to get up from the bed.

"That's a good idea Star, but before that, could you stay here with me for a while?" he softly requested while wrapping again his arm around her shoulders "I was worried about you"

The Tamaranean just smiled at him and they leaned in, kissing softly. Make out sessions with some sweet words always worked wonders on the couple, no matter if they had had an argument or if it was something else, like it was now happening. Caresses and kisses took their worries and fears away like nothing had before. Cyborg and Beast Boy would always joke about the pair, who were officially named the "love birds" of the tower, but being on the beginning of what they hoped it would be a life-long relationship, they couldn't care less.

Raven was sitting on her desk, trying to read one of her ancient books. It was of no use, she couldn't concentrate on it, so she decided to meditate before her overflowing emotions made her blow up the whole tower. It was then when she heard a knock on the door.

"Friend Raven? I would like to speak to you"

She immediately opened the door, instantly recognizing the voice. Her best friend stood now in front of her, waves of regret emanating from her, hitting the empath's mind.

"Yes?" she quietly asked.

"I would like to ask for your apologize for my rude display when talking about the proposition from Jump Up Records" the red-haired hastily said. She was noticeably nervous.

"Uh... it's okay"

"No, really, I am very sorry" she insisted "and I profoundly regret my behavior. I understand that you have not yet performed the 'making up of the mind' and that whatever your decision will be, it is my duty as a friend to respect it and wish you the best" she solemnly finished.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, saying nothing. Starfire didn't easily get troubled, but her friend's eyes had the most piercing look she had ever seen, it was as if they could reach into her soul and scan it. The princess wasn't uncomfortable about her friend knowing about her emotions, but it still felt strange... her empathy made her imposing to her green eyes.

"Is that all?" was everything the Azarathean said. And it was more than enough to make her sister-friend spill the beans.

"No... Friend Raven, I already told you; I am scared of losing you" she replied, not daring to look again into the violet eyes in front of her "If you choose to follow your dreams, I do not know if I will be able to feel happy for you"

"I understand" the other girl finally said, her expression warming up a bit "I don't know how I'd feel if it was you who was leaving... but if I don't stay, I'll make sure to keep in touch with all of you, I promise" she offered the alien girl her pale hand.

"Friend Raven..."

Starfire's tanned hand took Raven's and she pulled her into one of her bone-crushing hugs. The tallest girl was sobbing lightly.

"Even if we are galaxies away from each other, you will always be my best friend, I promise!"

They stayed like that for a while. Being heroines didn't give them the time to make many new friends, so they had grown really close to each other. None of them would ever forget what the other meant for her. Their friendship was strong enough to overcome any obstacle they may face, even their feared "drifting".

That night, Raven had a strange dream. She was wearing a white lacy dress and singing at the Harajuku karaoke bar. Her audience consisted of Slade, who was clapping politely, and a tall gothic girl with a silver ankh necklace sitting beside a girl with brown hair dressed in blue. Then everything exploded, blinding her... and then she saw nothing.

The next day the Titans went into regular crime fighting and once again they encountered the matter-absorbing creature. Once again, nothing they used against it worked... until Raven hit it with a dark energy blast. It clearly damaged the creature.

"Of course!" Robin exclaimed, realizing what they had been missing "It can't absorb an energy blast, only the matter surrounding it! Titans, hit it with all you've got!"

Starfire mercilessly threw starbolts and eye beams, Cyborg shot his sonic cannon, Raven chanted her mantra and threw another dark blast, and Robin threw two of his explosive disks. The coordinate attacks coming from different directions were impossible to avoid, even for that fast shape-shifting being. It resulted visibly damaged by the assault, and Beast Boy took this opportunity to morph into a T-Rex and make a slide attack with his tail. Thus, the mysterious creature was destroyed. The five heroes cheered to their success. The leader's expression quickly darkened. He got close to the remains of their foe. It was disintegrating.

"What was this thing? Where did it come from?"

Neither the celebration of their victory nor the peace and quiet that followed calmed the Boy Wonder, and his thoughts remained with that strange enemy. And thus, the days passed without him noticing, while his partners got more and more nervous, not only for the dreadful 8th of June coming close, but for his more and more reclusive demeanor that much resembled the one he showed when Slade was around.

And finally, the day came. The first thing Raven did was to tell her friends about her decision. Then she flew out of the tower, heading for _Carmen _café. She knew the place, since it was one of her favorites. Contrary to what her teammates thought, her depressing cafés were not gothic; actually, the music that played in them was blues. This specific café was named after one of the girl's favorite blues singer, an old diva called Carmen Garland.

She entered the place. It had that fancy vintage look from old cafés. She stood up, waiting. She didn't know how George Stewart looked, but she figured he would recognize her even if she was wearing civilian clothes. Her taste in clothes through time had changed as much as herself; at first, like Jinx once pointed out, everything she had was blue... or just dark. She wore really sober clothes, and always used either dark blue or black. Slowly, she incorporated white to her wardrobe, and then some colors and more feminine forms, even getting to put on some skirts and dresses from time to time, for Starfire's delight, though nothing too bright or fancy. On this occasion, she matched the place she was at quite well; with a black dress with some discrete flower patterns. Her hair also looked different: she had been convinced by her best friend to grow it longer, and now it reached past her shoulders. The reason for her not wanting to let her hair long was that, due to her metahuman nature, it grew up faster than normal, so she had to cut its ends every week to avoid it getting too long.

She was about to pick a seat when she heard someone calling her.

"Miss Raven?" the waiter called her from behind the bar "That man over there asked me to tell him when you arrived. Excuse me, sir, she's here"

"Wonderful, thank you! Please, Miss Raven, come and sit with me"

The man who talked to her was in his late forties, or maybe his early fifties. He was tall, and he appeared to be in quite good physical shape. He was wearing an elegant gray suit. But the most noticeable thing about him was the wooden cane he was carrying and his black sunglasses covering his obviously blind eyes.

She sat down beside him and shook hands with him while they said hello and introduced themselves. After some other brief and void formalities, they started the talk they were there for.

"I'm glad to see you here. For all this time since I wrote that letter I feared you wouldn't come. I must say I'm still a bit nervous now. But let's get straight to the point; please, tell me your decision. Will you work for Jump Up, or will you resume your activities as a heroine?"

The girl took a deep breath before answering.

"I accept your offer, Mr. Stewart"

**End of the chapter. I made it this long hoping that the others will be the same, which I still don't know, the length of my chapters is usually quite irregular. Besides, I thought Raven's decision was quite obvious by the way I was writing it and the kind of story I'm making, so I thought there was no point in trying to create intrigue with that. I hope this results in a good story that you get to like, but above everything I really hope Raven's not OoC. What I'm intending to do is to make her do something that's not quite like her, and make it fit her, that is, without her getting out of character. I hope I'm able to do something like that, and that you don't disregard this story for its theme. Let's see what happens with it. For now, I'll leave you with this ending that's not too much of a cliffhanger, though I really hope it still leaves you wanting to know more. If this is the case, don't worry, I shall deliver... but you'll have to wait a bit, I will write two other chapters for _Dies Irae _and another one for _Crossroads _first. Don't worry; it hopefully won't take me too much, even though right now I don't have too much time to write. All I can say if you're waiting for any of my stories to be uploaded is: please be patient, I will not leave them unfinished.**

**Now it's time for me to say my goodbyes. Take care, people, and I hope you stay with me through this story. Bye!**

**Avy.**


	3. Author's note

**I'm publishing this note as a warning about the genre, which I will change again into drama-suspense. It may not fit the story right now, but it will later on. This way you will all know what kind of story you're about to read. Of course, not being classified as "romance" doesn't mean there won't be place for it, you just have to read these first two chapters to know that. The reasons for this choice of genre will be explained throughout the story, and in a final author's note at the end of the last chapter. Until then, it's up to you to discover what this story is about. Thanks for your attention and I hope this author's note doesn't bother you.**


	4. A losing game

**As I said, I'd keep up with this story. I don't have much more to say, so I'll start with the anonymous reviews (though The Cretin isn't an anon anymore!):**

**The Cretin: Thank you. I was really worried about that, because this is not something that is, as you would say, "like Raven". But when this idea came to mind, I thought "well, there's a comic in which she admits to be a die hard **_**Gossip Girl **_**fan, so I think this is not so tragic". I still had my doubts, but I really feel like writing this. All the information you give me about the comics is helpful, and of course I'm always open to suggestions from readers. About the dream, it could have no relation with the story and just reflect Raven's dilemma in a metaphorical way... or of course it could be something else, who knows? I'm glad you liked Starfire, I thought that, out of all the Titans, she'd be the one who'd get more upset about one of them quitting. The second one would be Cyborg, I think, and that's why he asked BB those questions about the Teen Titans coming to an end. I think he'd be really scared if something like that happened (this is something I actually know from the comics: his relationship with his father, his only family from what I know -correct me if I'm wrong, please- is not very good, so he'd have no one to turn to). Thanks for the information about Raven's rebirth and the team's evolution, it was quite interesting, and thanks for your praise too. Don't worry about your reviews being long, it's good that you have so many things to say about my stories. And same here; best wishes from Spain, I hope everything's alright there in Kentucky! Bye for now, keep rocking!**

**CanadianGeekGirl: Thank you! You'll have to wait a bit for my other stories to be updated, but you'll soon know, and I promise it's going to be a lot!**

_Chapter three: a losing game_

Once home, Raven explained everyone that she'd be discussing and signing her contract the 2nd of July, so she'd leave that day in the morning. Robin then decided he needed a suitable substitute for her. He called all honorary Titans and even Titans East, but he always received negative responses. It turned out that they all were too busy at the time.

"Guess we'll have to search for someone new"

After a few days of searching on his superheroe database, he found a candidate.

She went by Pythia. She was a superheroe from New Orleans who seemed to have premonitions and hypnotizing powers, apart from being quite capable in hand-to-hand combat. The Boy Wonder and Cyborg immediately got ready to visit the girl, leaving Raven in charge.

The girl was really nice, and she seemed eager to work in a bigger city with more opportunities, since New Orleans only meant regular crime fighting, as there were no supervillains there.

Unfortunately, Raven disliked her in the moment she set foot on the tower.

She had come to be introduced to her soon-to-be-teammates, earning a bone-crushing hug from Starfire and friendly greetings from Beast Boy, to which she responded with shameless flirting and the most stupid giggling Raven had heard since the Titans met Kitten. The sorceress was glad when the girl went back to her city, but she knew that peace wouldn't last long.

What could she do about it? Her secret love interest didn't seem upset about the newbie's attitude; on the contrary, he looked quite flattered by the brown-haired heroine. Besides, she would be leaving by the end of the month... and it was stupid to even think of it. For him, she was just a friend. Maybe her older sister. If he ever found out about her feelings for him, he'd probably consider them plain gross. Not that she could blame him, actually.

She had never been able to tell him the truth; doing it now that she was leaving would be plain ridiculous. There was nothing she could gain and lots of things she could lose. That left her with no choice but to do absolutely nothing about it and hope that one day, she'd overcome those feelings that hurt like daggers.

Some days after the meeting, the Titans decided to go to the Jump City Fair. It always started the 21st of June, to greet the summer that was coming. Robin and Starfire stuck with the group, but only for a little. They immediately went into "couple mode" and went their own way, oblivious to their friends. It was actually annoying for the remaining three; there was no way to spend some quality time with them now.

However, they decided to shrug it off and have some fun on their own. Of course, that left Raven out of the question. She "didn't do fun". They remaining two knew she was lying, so they took her with them anyway. This time, Beast Boy promised himself he wouldn't screw it by winning a chicken plush for her. He'd get her something better.

"...a cat?" Raven raised her eyebrow in mild surprise.

"Not an ordinary cat, a giant plush kitty, the most adorable you'll ever find!" Cyborg announced happily while a proud Beast Boy handed her the massive plush.

"I noticed you like kitties" he told her.

"Well... I mean isn't this too big?"

"Let me hold it for you then" the boy answered, taking hold of the cute plushie. When he turned, he saw Cyborg cheerily talking to a rather nice girl. He couldn't help but smiling.

"Let's leave those two alone" he announced while taking Raven's hand.

The sorceress didn't bother to protest at his daring actions, since she agreed with him that it was best to leave their friend alone with that girl in case he got lucky. Besides, that gave her an excuse to hold hands with her love interest.

"What about we go there?" he asked.

"The ferris wheel? Are you sure?" the Azarathean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not like I could get into the roller-coaster with this" Beast Boy shook the kitty plush a little, smiling playfully.

Raven didn't know what led her to accept, but there she was, up in the ferris wheel, with Beast Boy and a cat plush as her company. She found out it wasn't all that wrong. Actually, she liked being beside him. It was going to be tough to say goodbye...

"Raven?" she heard his voice in the distance.

"Uh... sorry, I was lost in thought... what were you saying?"

Beast Boy opened his mouth to talk, but he got interrupted by the summer-welcoming fireworks. The ferris wheel stopped so all its users could admire the spectacle above them. The pair on the highest cabin were dead quiet, gazing at the colorful fireworks dancing in the night sky, making dozens of different forms that ranged from flowers to hearts to something completely abstract, but not less beautiful. They never knew who did it, or what brought them into something like that, but they found themselves holding hands.

And then, as soon as it began, the beautiful show ended. And thus they became aware of their physical contact and quickly retreated, least the other one notice.

Then, their cabin started to lower down. They'd soon be touching ground.

"Raven?"

"Yes?"

I couldn't ask you this before, but... would you mind if... we went out some of this last days you're staying... you know... the two of us?"

He could barely utter the words. The poor changeling was red as a tomato. But his violet-haired friend wasn't any different.

"Beast Boy? Are you... asking me out?"

"NONONONONONONO- okay, maybe but IN A FRIENDLY WAY!" he blurted out, getting even redder.

"I see..." she whispered, the tiniest hint of sadness in her voice. "I'm leaving soon so I guess it won't kill me"

"Really?" Beast Boy didn't bother to hide the excitement he was feeling.

Raven couldn't help but smiling lightly. She silently nodded. They got down of the ferris wheel at the sound of Beast Boy's "SWEEEET!" exclamation. His teammate rolled her eyes, though deep inside, she was just as excited as he was. Then she remembered something that made her happy bubble explode. She gently tugged at one of her friend's pointed ears.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Discretion. These... meetings will take place at night, and we're NOT going to any place where we can be seen in public, understood?"

"No, of course I don't get it! Why do you want to do that?" he asked, upset.

"Because I don't want the press on our butts, theorizing about our relationship. Is that alright for you?"

He tilted his head. There was no denying that she was right; the press would eat them both alive. There had already been some news from gossip magazines qualifying them as a presumed couple.

"Alright. I guess we have no option"

It wasn't nearly as much as any of them truly wanted, but it was more than enough for both, thinking as they did that none of them reciprocated their romantic feelings for each other.

The following day came, along with their first not-a-date. Raven grew anxious. While she had developed a fine taste for clothes, she had never been too much of a girly girl, and adding that to the fact that she had never had a date before (she didn't count that boring goth boy, as the experience had proven tedious enough for her not to call him ever again), she soon started to panic. So she resolved to ask for help and advice from a professional.

The professional in question almost hugged her to death when she heard the words "date" and "Beast Boy" together in one sentence pronounced by the poor empath. She quickly gave up on trying to explain to the ecstatic alien that it was no romantic date. The Tamaranean rummaged through the sorceress' clothes until she found something that she considered "fitting".

"Put this on, friend Raven, and I will do the rest" she solemnly declared.

The Azarathean wasn't exactly sure about her best friend's choice. She didn't even recall buying something like that. It was a white, flowing sundress. The kind of clothes that still made her feel "weird". But, fearing the mighty arms of her friend, more than able to undress her and force her into the garments (probably killing her by accident in the process), she decided to try it on.

She did look weird. However, Starfire was squealing in glee, convinced that the dress made Raven look "glorious".

"Now, please let the professional do her work" she announced.

The princess made her friend sit at a chair and quickly did her hair and put some makeup on her face. Raven had never been at a hairdresser's, but she thought that Starfire was quite proficient at the job. When she was done, she led Raven to the closest mirror, making her gasp in surprise at her reflection.

She had to admit that she looked stunning.

Her attire wasn't overdone at all. Her dress was very simple, so it had been ornated by a flower diadema that Star had put on Raven's long hair, not before curling it into soft waves. As for her makeup, she only wore the tiniest hint of eyeliner and a bright red lipstick. She actually smiled when she saw that her alien friend hadn't been able to resist the temptation to do her manicure, drawing subtle red patterns on her nails. She wore no accessories and she had plain white ballerinas on her feet.

"Star... it's wonderful" was all she could say. "Thanks a lot"

"You are very welcome, my friend"

Both girls smiled at each other. It was going to be hard to go on without the other, but they knew that their friendship was way stronger than the distance the world could put between them.

After a while, Raven said goodbye to Starfire and headed to the roof, where Beast Boy was waiting for her. Before she left her room, she stared into her two plushies one last time, a warm smile adorning her face.

When she finally made it to the roof, she was greeted by Beast Boy. He was also wearing civilian clothes, and the girl had to admit that he looked really good: he had some blue jeans on, a white shirt (Beast Boy, a shirt? Did he have the flu or something?) and white trainers. He had also done his hair (he had probably stolen some of Robin's gel to get the work done). Since it was a hot night, none of them wore a jacket.

"Rae... you look awesome!" he exclaimed the moment he saw her.

"It's Raven. You don't look so bad yourself" she replied.

They went silent for a moment. The empath decided to speak before things went awkward.

"Well... where are you taking me, then?"

The changeling grinned.

"You'll see! Follow me!"

He ran to the edge of the rooftop when she stopped him. He eyed her questioningly.

"I could get both of us there if you tell me where to go. That way, you won't get tired" she offered.

"Since when are you so nice?" The teen inquired, without really thinking about what he just said.

Raven's scowl did prevent him to just be grateful and shut up, though.

The girl couldn't hide her surprise when Beast Boy took her to the T-ship.

"Are you sure about this?"

"There are really nice views at night, I thought we should try it" he answered.

Still doubting it was a good idea, the sorceress went into her canopy, only to be stopped by her teammate.

"Why don't we get into Robin's? It has the best views!"

Completely convinced that it would be a really bad idea... Raven obliged.

Robin's cabin had room for two people, but since it was meant for just one person to fit in, there was only one seat, which meant they'd have to sit really close. It was awkward, but not that uncomfortable.

The T-ship took off and crossed the dark sea. There was almost a full moon, which lighted the place with aid from the stars. The sight was impressive.

And there they were, a half-demon and a changeling, lost in the horizon. Whatever awaited them in the future didn't really matter. The only important thing in that moment was that they were together. Raven wished for that moment to last forever.

And yet, it didn't. After a good while, they had to get the ship back to the tower, least Cyborg find out about their nocturnal activities. Luckily, no one noticed their entrance.

The pair quickly flew back to the roof. A couple of hours had passed since they left for their not-a-date. Beast Boy was the first to talk.

"Uh... have you noticed that we didn't say anything at all in all the time we spent at the ship?"

His friend nodded.

"I'm sorry if it was boring..."

"Oh, nonononononononono!" the changeling waved his arms like crazy, obviously startled, not wanting her to think wrong. "It was great, really. I hope you want to... you know... hang out with me again"

"I'd love that" the empath answered, smiling softly.

"Sweet!" the boy exclaimed, jumping a bit in excitement.

Raven kept on smiling even after they both went to their respective rooms. She knew it wasn't like herself and the feeling scared her a little, but she didn't resist it. After all, it wouldn't last long.

The next day wasn't much different for the pair; crime fighting by day and (friendly) dating at night. This time it was Raven's time to pick a place. She took Beast Boy to _Carmen Café _so he finally knew about her depressing cafés. The good thing about the place was that it was quite intimate, and its owner was very discrete, knowing that some celebrities would pop up from time to time. Beast Boy was surprised to find out that Raven was not a goth, nor did she especially liked goth music, but she was more of a jazz and blues lover. Overall, it had been a really nice evening, so they hanged out together the next one, and the next one, until their feared day came.

The Titans were having a goodbye party for Raven. Titans East and all honorary Titans would be there. The girl became a bit overwhelmed by all those people wishing her luck in her new career and saying how much they'd miss her. The Titans West gave individual speeches about her partner and how much she meant to them, and then she herself gave a small goodbye speech. She was happy to see all those friendly faces and to find out that they all cared for her, but it was still highly uncomfortable.

As for Beast Boy, he was feeling a bit anxious. Last night, Raven had told him that she wanted to say goodbye to him in a proper way, and that she wanted to hang out with him one last time. She added that she was picking the place and that he should wear a swimsuit.

When the goodbye party was over, all the guests had left and everyone had left off to sleep, he got out of his room and headed to the roof. Raven was there, still wearing her uniform and carrying a big bag with some towels inside. After greeting him, she took off and guided him to a small cove, very close to the tower, but completely hidden from view. The sand on it was thin and soft, and there was an amazing view of the sea that got lost in the horizon. The moon and the stars were reflected on the calm water, making the place look enchanted.

"Starfire comes here with Robin when they are in 'the romantic mood'" the sorceress explained.

"It's really nice" Beast Boy answered, admiring his surroundings.

When he looked back at his friend, his jaw hit the floor. She had taken off her clothes and now she was just wearing a pastel-colored bikini. She immediately turned and headed to the sea.

"Aren't you coming?"

The changeling quickly took off his own clothes, leaving only his swimming trunks, and followed her into the sea.

The water was cool and refreshing. He saw the empath swimming off and he followed her.

"I never thought you were into this" he commented.

"I actually enjoy swimming, I just don't fancy crowded beaches" she answered, floating with her face up.

Raven suddenly stood up and stared into the horizon. At first, Beast Boy thought she had seen something, but he quickly realized that she was admiring the impressive views the cove offered. Maybe she was trying to take everything in, memorizing it so she'd never forget it. After all, she was leaving, and she'd only come back to visit them.

The moon was completely full at last, and it shone bright in the sky, lighting the place up a bit. Lots of stars could be seen too. The changeling stared at the empath in front of him. He couldn't help but thinking that the pale and subtle moonlight gave her skin a beautiful glow. He slowly approached her, until he was just behind her.

"It's a really beautiful sight" she said.

"I know" he whispered, not taking his eyes off her for a single moment.

In that same moment, he felt bold and he embraced her from behind. She tensed up in surprise, but quickly relaxed. She even put her arms over his. Both were thinking the same: _Tomorrow we'll have to say goodbye, so what's the worse that could happen if I just take this chance tonight?_

They stayed like that for a good while, not talking, just savoring the moment. None of them wanted to end the moment, but they had to go to sleep, since Raven was leaving early in the morning. The girl turned slightly and faced Beast Boy, looking at him straight in the eye. He silently nodded and they parted, getting back to the tiny beach, where they put on the towels the empath had brought. Being soaked as they were, they couldn't put their clothes on, so those were in Raven's bag, safe from the sand.

The pair stood at the roof at the tower. Raven had handed the changeling his clothes, but none of them dared leaving the place.

Finally, Beast Boy broke the silence.

"I'm going to miss you, Rae..."

"I'm also going to miss you... Gar" was her reply.

The teen's pointy ears perked up a bit. Had she just used a pet name on him? Well, he wasn't complaining.

"Promise to stay in touch" he asked her.

"I will" the empath whispered. Then, silence fell again.

"I guess we should get going..." the shape shifter half-heartedly said.

"Yeah..."

More silence.

"Gar?"

"Yes?"

Raven got really close to him and delicately grabbed him by his shoulders, losing her towel in the process. She stood on her tiptoes and did something that Beast Boy would never be able to forget.

She kissed him.

"Goodnight" she whispered. Then she hastily took her towel and her bag, and phased through the floor.

Beast Boy stayed in the roof, paralyzed. What had just happened? And why did it have to happen right then, when the girl who had kissed him, the girl he had liked for years, was going to leave?

Back in her room, Raven fell on her bed, not bothering to change into her pajamas, and cried bitterly.

***End of the chapter***

**I hope you liked it, and that you don't kill me for what I've just done. Also, please tell me if you found Raven OoC, I was a bit worried about this, since she's not quite acting like herself. I have explained the reason for this, but I'd like to know if you think that it justifies her behavior.**

**Next update will be for the remake of Crossroads. Stay tuned!**

**Avandra.**


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